The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-06-10


Battle Creek and we went to the place
on the first train. We first went into
a shoe store where he purchased a pair
of shoes, and in payment threw down
a double eagle. The proprietor took it
and gave him the proper change with
out any hesitation. He may not be
judi e of coin, L said after we left the
store.
''Well, let us try some one that is an
expert. We entered bank and he
threw several of the pieces on the
counter and said:
please give me change for one of
these, and be good enough to examine
them closely, as l have reason to sus-
pect they may be bogus"
The banker weighed them and then
applied an acid test. "They are all
right, - he said, ''and if you are afraid
of them / will take all you have of
your hands and give you currency in
their place. "
No, thank you. only wished to
be satisfied they are good"
/ was astounded and convinced that
the money was as good as the genuine.
And now a new phase in the conduct
of my associate was developed. At
first he began to enlarge on the splen-
doris of a career with illimitable wealth
at ones command. And then he adj
vanced a step, and suggested that we
should obtain some of this gold, and
then go our way through the world re-
joicing. He was in a position to OBJ
tain all that we required at mere
song. l had told him about the piano.
rama venture, and he proposed that
we should redeem it, purchase awagon
and horses and 90 through the coun-
try, Ostensibly giving panoramic exhi-
billions, but in reality distributing the
coin.
II tell YOU he said. Il know how
we can carry all the gold we want.
We will bore full of holes the bar that
crosses under the box and fill the holes
with twenty-dOllar pieces. Nobody
would ever think of looking for it in
any such place.
Thus did he ply me for. several days.
1 listened to him with lively curiosi-
ty. His plan seemed safe, feasible and
certain to be productive of unlimited
wealth. Often in looking back at this
period of my life wonder that 1 did
not yield to his glittering promises.
was entirely alone. / had failed dis
astrously in business, and saw no hope
in the gloomy future. I was in that
condition when l cared for nobody and
nobody seemed to care for me. For
comm ,.oocop bOvvo1-oY. T ,,o1-o,. r.ooobad
the cOnsenting point. was interested
and delighted, and without any consci-
entiOus scruples heard him discuss
measures for placing his gold on the
public which l knew, whatever the as
sertions of the tempter and other evil
dence, to be counterfeit.
One morning he was missing, and I
learned that he had left on an Eastern
train.
How 1 extricated myself from the
difficult position in which l was placed,
through lack of funds, need not be re,
lated further than to state that raised
money enough to leave the place by
pawning a valuable society pin, the
badge of a college fraternity.
VI.
One day, during the war, while rid.
ing along the lines between Shiloh anC
Hamburg, I came across a suffers tent
and dismounted to get some thing tc
quench my thirst, There was man in.
side whom at once recognized as my
old Michigan associate. At first he
denied knowing me, but at length adj
mitted that he was the man.
'How is the gold business, and the
old man up in the depths of the wilder
ness in the peninsula; and are you still
pushing the double eagles?"
'Oh, all that be blamed!' was his an
swer.
what do you mean?'
''Are you a fool? Haven't you tum.
bled to my racket up in Michigan"
Il can't say that have even yet.
What was it, anyhow"
You must be the biggest fool in ere
ationr' he answered, with Il look OF
contempt. Honest, now, don't you
know what I was up to?'
Honest, now, 1 don't. What was
itP''
"Wel, by Jupiter, that beats me
I'll tell you, although it doesn't seem
possible that any man with pinch OF
sense would have failed to have got
onto my work. At that time Michigan
was flooded with counterfeit money,
especially along the line of the Michi-
gan Central railway. You came to
town an entire stranger, and were
looked on with suspicion. was in the
secret service and was sent down t.
look you over"
''And the bogus mOney?''
''All genuine Government coin. o.
course the bank found no fault with it, "
''And the venerable antiquarian upin
the wOOdsP"
"Only a blind. I'll be plain with
you. l intended to get you to go into
the business of showing the queer. II
you had agreed to it should have seen
that you got a supply, and as soon as
you had started in this business should
have pinched you. And then the con-
sequences would have been that you
now would be serving about your fourth
year in the penitentiary."
I was enlightened. When think OF
my position at that time, the induce
ments offered by the constituencies
scoundrel, and all the surroundings OF
the case, I some times wonder that ]
am not in the penitentiary.
l gave my old Michigan friend
piece of my mind in the most vehement
and blasphemous English at my COM
mand and then rode away. 1 viii add
that all stated in this sketch are facts
in my own personal experience and
took place exactly as stated.-PoltUto,
ia Chicago Times.